The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-07
HIS FAILURE.
A STORY.

script before him, as he said this, and,
resting his weary head on his hand,
sat looking out upon the street.
He was "born unto singing" but to-
day he could not utter what heaven
had breathed into his soul, for the
burthen lay sorely upon him. Lately
it had been so, that when the heart.
chords were swept by the unseen mas
ter hand, and his soul essayed to sing
the refrain, the mellow measures
trembled forth, only to falter before
the unapprecative, and the golden
notes died amid the jeers OF the cow
ardly creatures OF spite.
Long he sat at his desk, consulting
his over burdened heart. Should he
go on and be buffeted by ridicule long
es? He did not know; it seemed to be
his duty to row against the tide, but
OH il was hard. Some, he was aware,
counted it strengthening to genius, to
battle and endure, and he envied them.
lie believed he could battle and do
bravely-but not alone; he was afraid
he had not the vim to withstand the
contrary currents. Those who should
have held up his hands by words OF
encouragement stood aloft and looked
on with unconcern. Others who might
have made his world OF thought to
bud and bloom, passed by on the
other side with uplifted eyes, not
meaning to waste their high night
ness on struggling aspirant, and there
we're none to lend q helping hand.
Ali yes; he would give it up, and
write the word failure above the prob
lem Of his mission, and leave it UNI
solved. 1t would be hard task GER
tainly, to say to the sweet well-spring
OF song within, "thus Tar, and no far.
ther," but it would be harder still TO
have its crystal waters lose their puri
ty on the rocks OF Marah, over which
they must flow.
Yes; he would wall in this beautiful
summer sea, and grow careless and
pa5sionless and send his supersensi-
tive soul to school to the cynical prosa-
ic. He would slip down from the
round OF the ladder to which he had
chung in desperation; slip down to the
darkness oil the monotonous levels.
No one would disturb him there;
and he believed he must be one OF those
who run well for n season only; no
matter, he would try and forget that
the rose-wreathed gates OF the glorious
land OF song were ever ajar for him.
Why should he remember?
He pushed the inoffending manu-
script, which some busy editor had
"declined." into the open drawer, shut
it away from his weary sight, and
turned the key in the lock savagely.
Thus he flung the gauntlet into the
faces OF 1.-The Nine" who turned
aside from their chosen singer with
mute sorrow. He fancied now, that
the tide OF his summer sea would new
er rise again; but, there was an influ-
encc, destined to bear upon his dead
sea world, and say to the adaman-
tine shores, BE thou cleft" That lit.
be mended and the music was once
more to throb forth in its enhancing
sweetness.
Again he sat at his desk, and the
manuscript lay before him; but this
time the sunshine streamed over all;
the fairy rainbows OF happy promise
SPAWNED each well written line, and the
songs he was born to sing were swell
ing in the deep sea tide with nm echo
sweeter than ever dreamed Of What
had wrought this magic transforma-
tion7
All! the glorious sunlight OF appre
ciatiye kindness had broken through
tho snllen canopy suddenly, and illu-
mined his dreary way; the helping
hand had been reached out to him,
and had touched those long-silent
chords; and they had given back a
symphony. sweet rs the bells OF
Heaven. His doubts that had made
him lose the good he might have won,
were being swept aside by that helping
hand: he had never seen her, but in his
thankfulless he allowed she must be
the one good angel sent TO cancel his
failure, and help him work out the
problem OF his mission. A letter lay
on his desk, in which she said: 81 rec
ognize the happy fact that you are a
poet from the perusal OF your poems,
which have read; your lines contain
much merit; please continue and Twill
help you" Il
Blessed words 81 will help you"
They brought heaven nearer than 1t
had been for many weary years; he
could have fallen down at her feet, and
worshiped her for her timely inspira-
-. IL ~ In, r,naoilnln he |